Rather than the tedious task of raking and bagging leaves and taking them to the landfill, the best way to reduce greenhouse gases and benefit your garden is to leave the leaves! Leaves create a natural mulch that helps to suppress weeds while fertilizing the soil as it breaks down.
Some species of native pollinators, like this docile leaf cutter bee, overwinter in hollow plant stems. Again, waiting as long as possible to rake leaves out of perennial beds is the best idea. Hold off on your spring garden clean up until daytime temperatures consistently reach the 50s, if possible.
For the most part, leaves in perennials beds, under shrubs,and in other mulched areas do not have to be removed. Even thick layers of fallen leaves will break down over the winter leaving you with an inch or two of mulch the following spring.
We cover the beds in our vegetable garden with a layer of chopped leaves to keep the soil from washing away over the winter. Be sure to chop or shred leaves before using them as mulch. Whole leaves can form a mat that water can't penetrate. Leaves make a good insulating cover for overwintering tender perennials, too.
If you have a bed with mostly large, vigorous plants or an area with mostly bulbs (which are dormant for the winter), there is no need to remove the leaves. In fact, leaving them in place could help protect your plants and suppress weeds.
Fall leaves are a beautiful sight to see, just not when they cover your entire yard. A lawn with a thick layer of leaves is at risk for developing diseases, pest infestations, and weakened grass growth. Removing your leaves with a professional service will protect your lawn from these issues.
Excessive leaf matter on your lawn going into winter is bad for several reasons. First, it will smother the grass and if not removed very soon in the spring it will inhibit growth. Second, it can promote the snow mold diseases. And finally, turf damage from critters (voles, mice) can be more extensive in the spring.
Pick up the leaves in a catcher attached to a mulching mower and dump the shredded leaves on the raised garden bed. The shredded leaves will decompose during the winter season, nourishing microbes in the soil, adding nutrients, and improving its drainage and quality.
Leaving a thick layer of whole leaves can harm the grass. Mulching leaves instead of raking saves time and keeps grass healthy.
“Leaves form a natural mulch that helps suppress weeds and fertilizes the soil as it breaks down. Why spend money on mulch and fertilizer when you can make your own?” Removing leaves also eliminates vital wildlife habitat.
"If you just leave the leaves on the grass, it will exclude light. And then the grass won't be able to photosynthesize. Eventually, it would die under a thick layer of leaves," Barton said. Rake excess leaves into a landscape bed and it will turn into mulch.
Before you place your cut flowers in a vase, take some time to remove any extra leaves at the base of the stem if the leaves would likely rest under the waterline of the container. Eliminating the foliage will decrease any bacteria in the water, helping keep the water clean and free of foul odors.
And while it is at least partially true that excessive amounts of fallen leaves can smother areas of a lawn when they're left in thick piles all winter, leaving the leaves on the ground as mulch can actually be an effective method of building soil and supporting a healthy yard.
While many gardeners believe that fall cleanup is the only way to go, there are actually several benefits to leaving a majority of cleanup for the spring. Since many animals and insects are adapted to use plants for winter survival, it makes for a healthier garden to keep their needs in mind.
Raking leaves in the fall, though, can reduce the diseases you encounter the following spring and summer.
Leaving the leaves alone is a good way to support native pollinators and other insects and wildlife. These valuable insects rely on the habitat fallen leaves provide, especially over the winter months. Dead leaves also decompose creating compost that can improve soil structure and fertility.
Cons: Leaf mulch can be blown away in the wind if not properly positioned. If not shredded enough or placed firmly on the top soil, the wind can easily blow the mulch away. Unlike hardwood mulch that can usually withstand winds so long as the layer of mulch is thick.
Bauer says he sometimes hears from people worried that too much leaf material will alter their soil chemistry in a bad way. "To me, none of that is valid," he said. He's done some research into this, and found no evidence that too much leaf mulch will alter your soil in a way that hurts your grass.
Micro-organisms are the life of soil, and they need food and nutrients all the time. The more leaves left on your garden, the more feed for these micro-organisms that make soil healthier and plants grow stronger. As the leaves decay, they add organic matter back into the soil, which lessens the need for fertilizer.
However, if you intend to maintain a healthy lawn beneath your trees, you really should try to remove as many leaves as possible before the winter. First, a heavy layer of leaves can smother the grass beneath or prevent new growth in the spring unless promptly taken away.
The National Wildlife Federation states: “The leaf layer is its own mini ecosystem!” The leaves are a natural habitat for butterflies, salamanders, chipmunks, box turtles, toads, shrews, earthworms and others. They lay eggs in the leaves and feed on and under the leaf layer.
"Leaves naturally break down and they turn into soil, so by composting you're speeding up that process so that you can get to that end point more quickly." This doesn't mean that homeowners should just "leave" well enough alone and use composting as an excuse to shirk the annual backyard chore of raking the lawn.
If you'd like to move fallen leaves off your lawn, you can rake them into garden beds (free mulch!) where they will insulate perennials and keep soil in place during storms. Alternately, shred them with a lawn mower and let them become natural fertilizer for the yard.